Two Lost Souls
by Six Shot Magnum
Summary: Alex and his older brother Jacob have a rude awakening one day and are forced out of the Vault. During a search for their father they come across many like and unlike themselves. I'd really like some feedback so please review if you read it.
1. Chapter 1

So, Funny Doesn't Pay The Bills, and Everything Has A Price,

are coming along very slowly (Plus my PC is going wacko, I'm on my Laptop)

So when I can't put those out I'll be working on this.  
(Sigh)

Despite my best efforts to pace myself, I'm now working on 3 stories at once.

Rated T for swearing, drug use, and moderate violence.

Obviously I don't own Fallout 3, Bethesda, or any of the characters portrayed in this story. (Excluding Jacob and Alex). This story may contain events not canon to the game.

ENJOY!!!

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The light was blinding. I heard joyous yells of: "Surprise!" and, "Happy Birthday!" My father told me how proud he was but was cut off by the Overseer. Oh how I hated the Overseer. He gave me an all too well prepared speech about my being 10 and handed me a Pip-Boy 3000. I attached it to my wrist and began examining it. I quickly changed the color to blue rather than green. Why? Eh, I just don't like green. When I had finished I looked up to find Amata in front of me.

"Happy Birthday!" She said. I pretended to care about what she said until she gave me a Grognak the Barbarian comic book. I said thanks and continued my search for gifts. Old Lady Palmer gave me a sweet roll, Stanley a baseball cap, and Butch and co. just acted like idiots. I soon saw my cake. A magnificent blend of ingredients. Ingredients so scarce in Vault 101 that they were reserved for certain birthdays. Ages: 6, 10, 18, 30, 50 and 80. I couldn't wait to bite into the… ANDY!!! NO!!! The robot's saw blade attachment was soon brought down onto the cake, splattering it everywhere. My jaw fell wide open as I heard Andy apologize in his distinct British accent.

In my disappointment, I ended up sitting down next to Butch's gang, not realizing it. Butch got up and gave me an evil eye until I looked at him. "I'm hungry, and that stupid robot ruined the cake! Gimme that sweet roll you got from Old Lady Palmer!" Butch said in his snotty little tone. Oh how I hated that tone. I was mad so I stood as well, getting up into Butch's face.

"Oh you do look hungry." I said sarcastically. I was about to attack his most vulnerable point. "What? Did your mom drink up all the ration coupons again?" And there it was. A thing of beauty indeed. Butch tightened his fists, looking ready to pound my head in. He drew his fist back but before he had a chance to hit me, He was thrown to the ground. My older brother stood there. I smiled. Jacob, my brother, looked at me, frowning. He quietly told me to stop getting into trouble as Officer Gomez rushed over. Jacob began talking to Gomez about how it was self defense and etc.

Jacob was 5 years older than me. Naturally, we weren't the best of friends, but Jacob always had my back on anything. Soon my dad called me over and said there was a surprise waiting for me and to go see Jonas on the reactor level. I did so, avoiding Beatrice on the way out. She was extremely creepy. I made it into the reactor level safely and saw Jonas. "What are you doing down here young man? I thought kids weren't allowed on the reactor level." He said jokingly. I played along.

"Hey! I'm not a kid! I'm ten years old remember?" I replied. Jonas laughed.

"Oh that's right. Anyways, why don't you just wait for a second? I'm sure your Dad will want to give you your surprise himself. Dad soon walked down the stairs and faced me.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" He asked.

"What kind of surprise?"

"Well here you go: Your own BB gun!" Dad gave me the tough plastic gun and I stared at it. I looked at him and grinned. "Well what do you think?"

"Dad this is awesome! Thank you so much!" He smiled. Jonas then opened a door revealing a sort of miniature shooting range. I quickly ran in.

"You can shoot here any time you like. C'mon now." Dad said. I nodded and began aiming at one of the targets. I hit it and it made a satisfying "ping" before swinging around and resetting itself. When I tried to shoot again it didn't work. Dad explained the lever-action style of the BB gun and I understood. When I took a closer look it reminded me of the Old West movies I'd seen in the Vault archives. It was a fond memory. Dad used all his item coupons on things for me. Anyhow, back to the moment at hand. I hit the other two targets and as if on cue, a Radroach popped out of nowhere. I realized my chance and shot at the Radroach, killing it in a few shots.

Dad laughed. "Nice work son. Hey Jonas, get a picture of me with the big game hunter." We all laughed as Jonas took the picture. Such a fond memory…

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**6 years later….**

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Jacob and I were lying on our beds on opposite sides of the room. I was studying and he was reading an old copy of Pugilism Illustrated. Today was the G.O.A.T test. The Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test. It would decide my fate. Would I be the next Overseer? Or would I be a measly fry cook? Who knows? I hoped to become the Vault's next Tattoo artist. It would be an interesting job to say the least. I stood up and looked in the mirror. I was tall and thin. Jacob always said I didn't eat enough. My hair was long, brown, and unkempt. It reached to about my shoulders, The Overseer made sure it didn't go further down then that. I also didn't often shave; leaving my face hairy. I was always finding small ways to distance myself from the others. Why? I just didn't like being normal. Normal is boring.

Jacob got up and stood next to me. He was taller than me, and well built. He was spending all of his time working out. His hair was short and gelled back. Jacob was always well shaved. We were opposites. He put his bulky hand on my shoulder and smiled. "C'mon bro, the G.O.A.T is waiting for you." I nodded and started walking out. "Don't forget to talk to dad before going." I nodded again and walked out the door. I turned the corner into dad's office.

"Oh, hey son. On your way to take the G.O.A.T eh?" He asked.

"Yeah dad. I just stopped in to say hi." I replied.

"Well that was nice of you but you'd best be off. The G.O.A.T will start with or without you." Dad said. I sighed and nodded.

"I'll see you later." As I exited the room I saw Jonas go in. I waved and continued. Once I started towards the classroom I saw Amata surrounded by Butch and his stupid gang: The Tunnel Snakes. They were essentially three Ne'er-do-wells in leather jackets. I really didn't want to but I did anyways. I tapped Butch on the shoulder and when he turned around I punched him in the face, sending him to the ground with a bloody nose. Wally Mack and Paul Hannon just stared at me as I walked into the classroom. After a minute or so Amata and the Tunnel Snakes entered the classroom. Butch had a wad of toilet paper shoved up his nose. He sat in the very back of the classroom, with the other two idiots. I sat up front, away from them. Amata sat behind me.

"Thanks for getting rid of those assholes Alex." She said silently as Mr. Brotch began explaining the test.

"No problem, I hate those guys." I told her. "It was really just an excuse for me to hit Butch in the face." She laughed as Mr. Brotch finished his speech.

The G.O.A.T's questions were all nonsensical multiple choice questions with no wrong answers. I had finished the test before Mr. Brotch even got to the last question. I then checked over my answers, making sure that they were something a tattoo artist would do. I breathed a sigh of relief as I handed the test to Mr. Brotch once it was over. He looked over my answers and said that I was going to be the Vault's new disposal specialist. On the inside I was devastated. But on the outside I kept cool. "Yeah well I just answered randomly. Is that how you got stuck with your job?" I said.

"Closer to the truth then you might think son." He replied chuckling. Brotch looked around; making sure nobody was paying attention and said: "Just between you and me, the whole test is a joke. If you want, I can make your test come out any way you want." I gave a devilish grin.

"You make me a tattoo artist and I'll be in your debt Brotch." He smiled and nodded. Telling me to leave before someone got suspicious. I did, feeling good about the future….

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**3 years later…**

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"Wake up!" My eyes darted open. Amata and Jacob were standing next to my bed. All I could think was: Uh oh.

"What is it guys?" I asked. For once I was genuinely worried.

"It's dad." Jacob replied. "He left the Vault." I was frozen for a second.

"But the door's sealed! It has been for 200 years!" I yelled. I never lost my calm like this. But something like this had never happened.

"Not anymore." Jacob told me. As if it were that simple.

"Look," Amata began. "My father's men are looking for you right now. They already killed Jonas! You have to get out of here!"

"Where can we go?" I asked.

"The only place you can go is with your dad, into the Wasteland." Amata explained. I thought for a moment. It was a hard decision. I had spent my entire life underground, hiding in the Vault like some kind of rat. Live or die. I made my decision.

"Let's go." I said bluntly.

"Alright." Amata explained that in her father's office was a terminal that opened up a secret tunnel leading to the Vault door. She gave me a few bobby pins and a screwdriver to pick the lock on his door. "Oh and here. I stole my father's pistol. I just hope you won't have to use it." I nodded and took the pistol plus three clips. "I'll try to meet you at the Vault door but don't wait for me." Amata quickly ran off. I sighed and picked up a messenger style bag.

"What're you doin'?" Jacob asked.

"We're going to need some things if we're gonna survive out there." I replied. I stuffed the First Aid Kit and two extra jumpsuits into my bag. "You grab some stuff too." He picked up a similar bag and did the same. I picked up my baseball bat and looked at it. I tossed it to Jacob and he smiled. "In case of Radroaches." I continued my search for useful items. "BB gun?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jacob said. I loaded the BB gun and stuffed it in my bag as well.

"Looks like we got anything that might be useful. Let's see what we got." In total they had 3 jumpsuits each, 10 stimpacks, 2 syringes of Med-X, a baseball bat, a BB gun with 50 BBs, a 10mm pistol with 36 rounds (3 clips), and 3 bottles of purified water. "Alright, let's go."

I had a sick feeling in my stomach as I stepped through the door. Jacob and I stood side-by-side, ready for anything. When we started down the hall, Officer Kendall rounded the corner shouting: "There they are! Hold it right there!" He was promptly attacked by a group of Radroaches and killed. I felt bad but there was no time to mourn. Jacob smashed all of the Radroaches with his baseball bat, barely breaking a sweat. He shook his head when he looked at Officer Kendall's body.

"Pathetic." He said. He began pulling off Kendall's clothes.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled.

"We need it more than him." Jacob replied bluntly. I sighed knowing it was true. Jacob pulled on Kendall's boots, security vest, and helmet, putting the police baton in his bag. The two of us moved through the Vault, knowing where we had to go, knowing what we had to do. Before long, we were interrupted again. Butch ran in front of us.

"Guys! You gotta help me!" Butch shouted. He looked extremely worried. Going against all of my instincts to push him out of the way and keep moving, I asked what was wrong. "It's my mom! She's trapped in there with the Radroaches!" It was ironic but I wouldn't stand around and watch someone else die.

"Fine Butch. We'll help your mom. But we're doing this for your mom, not you."

"Fine, fine, just save her!" Jacob and I rushed into Butch's room and saw his mom being attacked by the Radroaches that Butch mentioned. I took out my BB gun and shot one to death while Jacob smashed the other two. Butch was grinning and cheering as he helped his mother up. "You really did it! You guys are the best friends I've ever had man! You know what? It ain't much but here. Take my Tunnel Snakes Jacket." Butch then parted with his beloved leather jacket, adorned with the symbol of the Tunnel Snakes. Butch left after that to try to comfort his mother. Jacob and I looked at each other and shrugged. I put on the jacket over my jumpsuit, if only to offer a bit more protection.

The two of us soon sped out of there, rushing down Vault 101's various hallways and corridors. We were almost to the Atrium when we were stopped by Officer Gomez. He explained that everything had gone crazy, warned us to be careful, and went on a frenzy of Radroach killing. He and Andy together killed about ten of the little buggers. Realizing an opportunity Jacob and I ran into dad's old office. It had been gone through already, many things scattered everywhere, but there were still things to be found. We got ourselves 3 more stimpacks, 2 syringes of Med-X, and 2 packages of Mentats. We then went off on our not so merry way.

In the Atrium we had the displeasure of watching Tom and Mary Holden get shot down by several officers. We then ran into several Radroaches and were forced into a confrontation with Security Chief Hannon. Jacob managed to knock him unconscious with a smack to the head with his baseball bat. As we kept running we passed the Security Office. I heard voices. I shushed Jacob and we peered into the window. The Overseer and Officer Mack were clearly trying to squeeze some information out of Amata. Officer Mack was starting to get aggressive. I began getting angry. I thought of how Mack had brutally murdered Jonas. I walked slowly to the door of the room, Jacob telling me to stop. But before anyone could stop me, I pushed the button, opening the door.

Mack raised his baton, as though to strike Amata. This was more than enough to push me over the edge. I raised my pistol, and with no hesitation, pulled the trigger. The bullet flew straight and true, hitting Mack directly in the back of the head. His now limp body fell to the ground. Amata escaped unharmed and The Overseer sat in the corner of the room, trying to keep his cool. Jacob was speechless at what I had just done. I then stepped up to The Overseer. "You had better have a damn good explanation for that young ma…" He was interrupted by my shoving my gun in his face.

"Shut the hell up you son of a bitch. If you ever so much as touch Amata again, you're gonna look just like Mack over there." He didn't look phased but I could tell that his brain had just shitted itself.

"I must do what is right for the Vault." He said firmly.

"Jacob." I said, keeping my eyes on The Overseer. "Check around, see if there's anything good. He nodded and began searching through the various lockers in the room. "Now then, just give me the keys to your office and terminal and I'll be going. Do we have a deal?" I asked in a cold voice. The Overseer stared at me with a look of pure hatred. He put a key and piece of paper into my hand.

"I don't want you anywhere near this Vault ever again, understand?" I nodded and turned away. Only to turn back and pistol whip him, knocking him unconscious. I found several Stimpacks and a police baton on him, stuffing them in my bag, I looked at Jacob.

"What'd you find?" I asked. Jacob grinned.

"Well while you were having your little chit chat with the Overseer, I found us another 2 sets of security armor with matching police batons and helmets, and 5 more Stimpacks." He replied grinning.

"Great." I said. "We'll get going in a sec."

"Why not now?" He asked. I stepped into the holding cell and splashed my face with water from the sink.

"Because we both need a second to rest, that's why." I told him. I drank some of the water and collapsed on the bed. Jacob did the same. We laid there for just under a minute while I thought about killing Mack. It was so satisfying at that moment but left a bad taste. Like dark chocolate. Why was I comparing murder to dark chocolate? Whatever. Anyways, we got up and walked down the hall to the Overseers office. Along the way, we saw Jonas' dead body. It was sad for us both. His lifeless body slumped over on the floor. To my disgust, Jacob began searching him. I was angry at the fact but as Jacob had said before, we needed it more than him. Jacob found 2 Stimpacks and a Holotape. We agreed to listen to it later. Before going into the Overseer's office, we ransacked his and Amata's rooms. In the Overseers room we found a clip of 10mm ammo and a separate key to his office. As we searched Amata's drawers we found some bobby pins and I sort of… Uh… Stumbled onto her underwear drawer… But that's beside the point.

As we entered the Overseer's office I set about opening the secret tunnel while Jacob again ransacked the lockers. When I entered the code the Overseer's desk rose up and out, revealing a set of stairs leading into the ground. Jacob laughed as he finished his miniature raid through the locker. When I asked what was so funny, he showed me several packages of Mentats. "The Overseer's a junkie!" We both laughed as he packed away the Mentats and another 10 clips of 10mm ammo.

We quickly ran through the lower levels of the Vault, running into a few Radroaches before making our way to the Vault door. It was magnificent in a way. About 15 feet tall and 8 feet thick of pure steel. I quickly found the control pad and made the climactic pull of the lever that opened the door. A siren went off as the door slid open to the side. Before I realized it, Amata was at our side. We all stared at the door until it fully opened, pulling us out of our trance. Amata looked at me, her face a mixture of sadness and surprise. "I guess you're leaving." She said. I nodded. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks." I replied. There was an awkward silence. We hugged each other and I turned to leave with Jacob. "Bye." Jacob and I ran down the large hallway beyond the Vault door. The cave-like entrance was littered with dead bodies. Several carried signs, saying things like: "HELP!" Or "We're dying out here assholes!" It was funny but also sad.

There was a door at the end of the tunnel. After taking a deep breath, I opened it.

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WOW!  
That was a long chapter.

I'm really caught up in this story right now so I'll probably update pretty frequently.

Read and review my friends!


	2. Chapter 2 Contact

Chapter 2.

Wipee!

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The light was blinding. But this time I wasn't going to get a party. There were no shouts of "Happy birthday!" Instead, when my eyes finally adjusted I saw nothing but a ruined world around me. Jacob and I stood on a small ledge, gaping at this huge world. It was unexplainable. The sun, the ground, the ruined streets and buildings, it was unimaginable. Jacob and I took a second to take it all in before proceeding down the hill.

We looked all around until we spotted a small ranch house. Hopeful to find life we entered the house. Before we realized it we were face to face with a woman in her 20's. "Who the hell are you?! Did Moriarty send you?!" She shouted. Jacob put his hands up as he saw her reaching for a small pistol on her belt.

"Hey, hey, just calm down. First of all, who are you and who is Moriarty?" Jacob said. He was always ready to be diplomatic despite his tough exterior. The woman explained that her name was Silver and that she was a former…Well…Prostitute. She had worked for Colin Moriarty, a snob that lived in the nearby town of Megaton. He owned a saloon and supposedly only cared about money. Jacob nodded and listened to the whole story.

"You know what? You keep your money and I'll tell Moriarty you're gone alright?" Jacob said with a smile. Silver looked star struck.

"You mean it? I didn't think anyone would care so much. Especially not someone I just met. Thank you." Silver was so grateful.

"Not a problem. Anyways I need you to answer a few things for me if that's alright." Silver nodded.

"Shoot." She said simply. Jacob asked about several things including what sort of dangers there were, what the system of money is, and a few other things. Silver explained about various creatures, Raiders, Super Mutants, and the form of money was apparently bottle caps. After listening to all of this Jacob shook her hand and thanked her. When she turned around to walk away I figured we'd leave. But no. That would be too simple.

Instead, Jacob pulled out his baseball bat and brought it around Silver's neck, choking her. I was horrified. "Shoot her!" Jacob shouted at me. I couldn't. Finally Jacob grabbed my pistol off of my belt and shot her in the head himself. She died instantly, her body going limp. Jacob released his grip, letting her fall to the ground, and searched her body. He found a pouch marked: "500". Meaning 500 caps. He also took her pistol and ammo. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. Jacob handed my pistol back to me. Soon I turned angry.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" I yelled at him. He didn't look phased.

"We needed money, we needed info. We got both." I stood there in a daze, unable to respond. He gathered up some .32 rounds, a carton of cigarettes, some Psycho which apparently is a drug (called chems in the wasteland), some food, some medical supplies, and water. I followed him out, wondering if this was really my brother.

As we stepped outside I saw a frightening sight. A huge man, maybe 9 feet tall, with sickly green skin. His huge muscles and large build were scary alone, not to mention his assault rifle and thick armor. A super Mutant. Silver had said that they didn't usually travel far from D.C. Why was it here? The mutant was firing upon 5 men wearing leather armor, some with spikes and things sticking out. 2 carried lead pipes, 1 was throwing grenades, 1 had a bolt-action hunting rifle, and the last had a sawed-off, double-barreled, shotgun. But they didn't stand a chance against the beast's massive strength. It soon ran out of ammo for its rifle, tossing it to the ground and engaging the men with its fists. It had killed 3 of them by the time the other two got the message and ran. The mutant seemed all powerful. And it soon turned its attention to me and Jacob. Jacob pulled out his bat, ready to fight should he need to. But lucky for us, we were saved.

The mutant was about to scream a war cry most likely when a bang was heard. The mutant stumbled, and after another bang, its head exploded into a million pieces, sending bits of gore everywhere. Jacob lowered his guard slightly. When the mutant fell, our savior was revealed. A man stood a short distance away. He wore a black T-shirt, a leather jacket, leather pants, boots, fingerless leather gloves, and a pair of small, dark, sunglasses. His hair was slicked back and he carried a lever-action shotgun. It was sawed-off down to just past the fore grip, and had no stock (Think Terminator 2). The man flicked his wrist forwards, pushing the lever out and releasing the empty shell, and flipped it back, pulling the lever back and pushing in the new shell. He then holstered the shotgun at his side in a holster that looked as though it were meant to house a pistol.

The mysterious savior walked towards us and took off his sunglasses, revealing angry blue eyes. "Okay." He said in a gruff voice. "I don't know who you are, but tell me I didn't just see the two of you try to fight a super mutant. You're barely armed and barely armored! If I hadn't showed up you'd both be dead. Do you understand that?" We both nodded. "Great. So who are you?"

"I'm Jacob and this is Alex." Jacob said, introducing us. The man sighed and put his sunglasses in his pocket.

"Nice to meet you boys I suppose. I'm Chad." Chad shook Jacob's hand as he said this. "Alright, let's collect our loot shall we?" He then said. Jacob and I were confused, but got the idea when he began searching the dead bodies. Unfortunately, Chad took everything. Chad began to look through what he'd gotten. He laid in front of him: An assault rifle with no bullets, a lead pipe, a bolt action hunting rifle, and 2 frag grenades. "Alrighty then. Since you boys are a bit low on the weapons department, I'm gonna give you these." Chad gave us the hunting rifle and the grenades. "The rifles chambered for .32 rounds. You know how to use it?" I nodded. "Good. Those frags are to never leave your pocket, got it?" I nodded again. "Good. Anyways, I'm going to be setting up camp here so you can stay if you want." We naturally wanted to stay with Chad, if only for the protection value.

We had soon set up a fire and it was soon night time. We ate a bit of our packaged food from Silver's house and shared a bottle of water which to Chad's amazement was pure. "So, where are you boys from?" Chad asked. I froze. Should we tell him? No. That would put the Vault in danger. Jacob read my mind.

"Not too far from here actually. We've lived underground all our lives you see. This is actually our first trip to the surface." Jacob said. The story was legitimate enough.

"That makes more sense then." Chad said, laughing. We spent the remainder of the night staring at the stars until we fell asleep.

The next morning we were awoken by Chad at about 6 am. We were tired but got up regardless. Once we were packed and ready to go Jacob had to ask something. "Hey Chad, we're heading over to Megaton. Do you know where it is?" Jacob asked. Chad laughed and point to our immediate right.

"Right over that hill you idiots." He laughed again. "I'm going there myself so tag along if you want." Jacob and I nodded to each other and followed Chad. Within a few minutes we were in sight of Megaton. It looked like a massive pile of junk. I was surprised to see a robot outside the gate. It continuously repeated the same phrases but was a robot none the less. When we entered the gate we were greeted by someone who looked to be a cowboy. He was a tall, lean, black man with a sheriff's hat, a duster, and an assault rifle on his back.

"Well well now. What have we here?" The man said, approaching us. When he got in front of us he continued. "Nice to see you again Chad. Who are these two little buggers?" He sounded like a cowboy too.

"I dunno, some idiots I found in the Wasteland. Grew up underground, they're up here for the first time." Chad replied.

"I see." The cowboy replied. He looked us up and down. "Name's Lucas Simms. Town Sheriff, and Mayor too when the need arises."

"Alex." I said bluntly.

"Jacob." Jacob said in the same way.

"Well it's good to meet you. Feel free to look around but don't get yourselves into too much trouble." We nodded as Lucas walked away. Chad turned to us.

"Don't worry, he's a nice guy." We continued to follow Chad as he walked through the maze that made up Megaton. Ramps and walkways galore. Chad however seemed to find his way around easily. "First off I'm taking you to Craterside Supply. The girl who owns the place, Moira, is a little weird but don't let that get to you. She's a real whiz at repairing things." Chad explained. We entered the large building and saw two people. A girl with red hair in a ponytail, obviously Moira, and a man with an assault rifle standing guard. "Hey Moira."

"Hey Chad!" Moira exclaimed. Something about her just wasn't right. She was too… Happy.

"Got some things to trade." He said. Chad pulled many things out of a bag he carried. The assault rifle, the lead pipe, 4 hunting rifles identical to the one he had given them, several mines, and various other things. Moira looked at everything, checked their condition and looked over at Chad.

"How about 250 for the whole lot?" Moira said.

"How about 300 trade?" Chad replied. He wasn't going down that easy. Chad leaned over to me. "Always try to get more out of it then you walked in with got it?" He whispered to me. I understood.

"Oh fine." Moira finally said after thinking. "What do you want?"

"How many shotgun shells do you have?" Chad asked.

"Around 40. I'll say 70 for all of them." Moira told him.

"Alright, good. You got any Magnums?" He replied.

"I've got one .44 if you want it, 120 caps with 12 rounds."

"Fine." Chad said after sighing. "And then how much can you do to my shotgun here?" He gave her his shotgun to inspect while she gave him the magnum to inspect. Both checked out their respective weapons and looked at each other.

"I'll make it good as new but you're gonna give up the rest of your trade." Chad thought long and hard. He shook her hand.

"Sometimes I think you're trying to get me killed Moira." Chad said as he shook her hand. He put the .44 Magnum in his bag and let Moira keep his shotgun for repairs. Moira giggled.

"Well come back tomorrow and your shotgun will be better than ever." She told him.

"I'm counting on it." Chad said to her. I got bored with their endless chatter and my eyes drifted. I saw on the wall something odd. I walked over to it and examined it. It was a Vault 101 Jumpsuit but with armor on various places. There were several pouches, a bandolier across the chest, shoulder pads, and various bits of armoring in tactical locations but so not as to restrict movement. After Chad and Moira's talk I spoke up.

"Hey Moira? Where'd you get this Jumpsuit?" I said, still staring at it. Chad introduced us as Moira responded.

"Well some young dear came out of that Vault a long while ago and I offered to armor her suit for her. I never saw her again. Probably died out there, the poor thing." Moira explained. I listened closely, realizing that the Vault wasn't always closed. This confused me but I had no time for wondering at the moment.

"Hey could I, uh, have it?" I asked. I didn't expect charity but it was worth a shot. Moira smiled.

"Well judging by the big 101 on the backs of your suits I'd guess you're from there too?" Uh oh. She just blew our cover. Chad stared at as angrily.

"Well… Yeah." I said. Dammit. I hoped to keep a low profile. "Just don't tell anyone alright? We're trying to keep it down about that."

"I don't blame you. Well if you really want it, can you answer a few questions about the Vault?" I nodded. She asked what the food was like, how clean it was, and a few other trivial things. "Thanks. I guess that's all I'll need." She put away a notepad she'd been writing on and pulled the armored suit off of the wall. "It's yours." She said. I took it eagerly.

"Thanks Moira." Chad said. We all left after that. He didn't ask us about the vault, realizing that we really were just trying to fit in. We stopped in front of a building marked: Moriarty's Saloon.

"Alright." Chad began. "This is Moriarty's. The belly of the beast. You need drinks, you come here. You need info, you come here. Moriarty runs the show around here. Mind your manners got that?" I nodded as did Jacob. We entered the saloon. The belly of the beast.

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At this point I figure these guys will make a pretty good team.

Chad's the one with all the experience,

Jacob's the one who'll smooth talk you then bash your head in,

And Alex is the one who's quiet but can take your head off at 1000 yards.

Did you like it?  
I'll only know if you review!


	3. Chapter 3 Just Mingle

Hey readers!  
Sorry if this takes a while to get out, I've been having trouble with writing software, I'm stuck with NotePad.  
I've now got a new one and I'm ready to go! WOOHOO!

The room was filled with the smell of piss and alcohol. There were several people at the bar, a blonde girl at a table, a redheaded girl leaning on a wall, and a scary looking older man with an assault rifle on his back. There also appeared to be what looked like a zombie tending the bar. The zombie freaked me out, but I tried not to stare. "Okay, just buy a few drinks and don't cause any trouble, ok? I'll do the talking." Chad whispered to us. He took a seat at the bar, as did Jacob. "Hey Gob, get us a bottle of whiskey and two glasses." Chad said to the zombie.

"Sure thing smooth-skin." The zombie said. As I looked at it, I began to see clearly the pieces of falling off or missing flesh. I guessed that smooth-skin was just a term for normal humans. "That'll be 12 caps." Gob said as he set the whiskey and glasses on the table.

"Put it on my tab." Chad replied, pouring Jacob and himself a glass. Jacob too seemed repulsed by the zombie, but kept it to himself. While Chad and Jacob drank, I took a look around. Soon, a man in the corner caught my eye. He was well dressed and waving me over.

"My, my. Just when I had all but given up hope." He said. His voice had a certain charm to it. The man was oddly comfortable to be around, yet he was also very suspicious. "Young man, my name is Mr. Burke. I have a... Proposition for you."

"Very well Mr. Burke. What would you have me do?" I asked in a business-like tone. I wanted to keep us on an equal playing field.

"Well you see... My employer is a very powerful, wealthy man. I have heard him complaining about this town, this "Megaton". It's really a bit of an eyesore you see."

"Go on..." I said tentatively. Did he want to destroy the town? And just because it was an "eyesore"? Sure I have no connections here but still, all those people...

"Now the bomb in the center of the town, for which this town was named after, is still very much alive. All it needs is a little... Push." He does want to blow up Megaton. "I am in possession of a Fusion Pulse Charge. You take this, attach it to the bomb's core, and meet me here for your reward." He showed me a map of the Capitol Wasteland and there was a location circled. I marked it on my Pip-Boy.

"Okay then Mr. Burke. And what exactly will I receive for destroying Megaton?" I asked. It had better be good.

"I am prepared to offer you 500 caps and a luxury suite in Tenpenny Tower." 500 caps? That was like 20 caps per person I killed in the explosion!

"No way Burke. I need as least 1,000 caps for me and my brother before I could even consider something like that." I answered. I saw Burke grinding his teeth but he simply smiled and replied.

"Very well then. 2,000 caps total, and a luxury suite. Are you quite satisfied?" Burke said, for once there was a hint of anger in his voice.

"Perhaps Mr. Burke, perhaps. But I'm going to need a day to think about it." Good call. I told myself. Mr. Burke nodded.

"Very well. We shall meet here tomorrow, at this same time, agreed?" I nodded and walked back towards Jacob and Chad who were getting up to leave. We all left the bar and went back to Chad's house, just behind a restaurant called the Brass Lantern. When we entered Chad's house, we were amazed. It was small and cozy, yet he had so many things in there. A Nuka-Cola machine, a chemistry set, a small infirmary, a workbench, a small makeshift kitchen, he even had a robotic butler! I whistled as I looked around the house. He had a small room at the top of the stairs where is dog lived.

Chad brought out several, ice-cold, Nuka-Colas. They were extremely refreshing. Chad pulled several chairs out to the main room at the bottom of the stairs. "Okay so first off, where the hell were you the whole time Alex?" Chad asked. I sighed and explained Mr. Burke's proposal. Chad slammed his fist on a table. "Damn him! I knew there was something I didn't like about that guy!" Chad yelled. I looked over at Jacob who was deep in thought. I knew that look. He was considering it. I grabbed his shoulder and shook my head. Chad calmed down. "Whatever, we'll report him to Simms tomorrow." He said. "In the meantime, Jacob and I got some info on your dad from Moriarty." I perked up at the sound of this.

"Really?!" I was excited, finally we were back on the trail.

"Yeah." Chad replied. "He went to Galaxy News Radio. You've probably heard it a few times right?" It was true. We'd heard the over-enthusiastic DJ Three Dog on the bar's radio. Chad marked it on our Pip-Boys for us. "He went there to catch up on the news. Three Dog's been bragging about it lately. I tell you what, we stay here a couple days, bust Burke, and then I'll send you off to GNR ready for the Wasteland." Jacob and I agreed, it sounded like a good plan. "Alright. Let's get some sleep." Chad pulled out two extra mattresses for us while he slept in his bed. While Chad and Jacob slept, I was awake, thinking of the bomb.

We awoke around 9am. After a quick breakfast of InstaMash and Cram, we headed out. First thing, we picked up Chad's newly repaired shotgun. We found Simms on his usual patrol and before alerting him to Burke, we brought up th possibility of disarming the bomb. And with a little convincing, he agreed to give us 500 caps for doing it. A little later in the day, we told him about Burke. Upon hearing the news, he sprinted towards Moriarty's. We all arrived there, weapons drawn, ready for an all-out firefight.

Once we got there, Lucas Simms marched over to Mr. Burke. "Burke, you're under arrest." He said simply. Please let this work.

"And for what exactly sheriff?" Dammit.

"Don't play dumb with me Burke! The bomb, you're trying to blow it up! Have you lost your goddamned mind?" Simms yelled. But Burke kept his voice calm.

"I'm sorry sheriff, I believe we have a misunderstanding. Clearly someone has been spreading rumors. I'll be sure to take care of the situation. Personally." As he said the last bit he stared daggers at me. Lucas leveled his assault rifle with Mr. Burke's head.

"This isn't open to discussion Burke! You're coming with me, at least until we get this sorted out." Lucas ordered. Mr. Burke sighed and stood up.

"Very well sheriff. Lead the way." We all seemed to relax a bit, lowering our weapons. But before we knew what happened, Burke pulled out a 10mm pistol and fired several rounds into Lucas' back. There were gasps around the room as Lucas fell to the ground. Never to rise again. Mr. Burke stepped up to me, anger in his eyes. "You will regret this. Mark my words." He then walked out the door. In a fit a of rage, I chased after him. He was about to turn around with his pistol ready, when I pulled my own pistol out, inches from his face. I pulled the trigger, sending the small 10mm round into and through his skull. Burke collapsed. Dead. I felt the rush go away, leaving my body trembling. Chad checked both of them, making sure they were dead. They were. Everyone surrounded the dead bodies, until Moriarty broke the silence.

"Well we'd best get 'em to Doc Church." He said. I wondered why. They were already dead. Why bring them to a doctor? Chad saw the look of confusion on my face and explained that Doc Church was sort of like a judge in the event of Lucas' death. He would make decisions for the town. So we carried the two dead bodies to Doc Church's clinic, and by the time we got there, the whole town was following us. After a little while, Doc Church decided that rightfully all of the belongings should go to me. I was surprised to say the least, but I supposed that it made sense. The rules of the Wastes say that if you kill someone, you get their belongings. Burke killed Lucas, I killed Burke. When i saw the look of sadness and despair on the face of Lucas' boy, Harden, I walked over to him and pinned his father's star on his chest. I smiled and tousled his hair as I walked away.

That night, Chad bought us a bottle of top-of-the-line scotch and we told sad stories. Jacob and I must have told the story of our escape five times. There was one point where Chad began telling a story that Jacob and I both listened to every word of. "Her name..." Chad took a sip of scotch. "Was Jamie. She was the greatest woman I ever knew. I met her one day when I was at Rivet City. She had beautiful raven black hair, an incredible figure, and eyes you could stare into for hours..."

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Sorry again for the wait but I'll put out the next chapters real quick to make up for it.  
Read and review!  
Please?


	4. Chapter 4 Chad's Past

So this chapter is based on Chad's life with his former spouse that was mentioned last chapter.  
Well I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one.  
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I walked through the Wasteland, tired and hungry. My leather clothes dusty, my glasses shattered from my most recent battle. My shotgun in my holster, only 3 shells left. I was working my way back to Megaton, slowly but surely. It was when I came upon the Super-Duper Mart that it happened. Before I knew it, I was ambushed by Raiders. Several shots were fired upon which I jumped behind the cover of a broken pre-war bus. I felt them getting closer and closer. Was this how it would end?

I was ready to jump out and make my move when I heard the distinct sound of a .308 caliber bullet being fired, several of them. When I looked out, the Raiders were dead. I saw my savior, she was beautiful. The girl slung her sniper rifle back over her shoulder and helped me to my feet.

Her skin was well-tanned, her eyes deep blue. Her long black hair flowing behind her. She wore combat armor and had a serious look about her face. "You okay?" She asked. I was speechless for a moment, before answering.

"Yeah, yeah fine." I replied. I put my shotgun away, taking another look at her.

"Good. Anyways, we should get to Megaton. You headin' that way?"

"Uh huh." For more time with this beautiful woman, I would gladly have gone into a Deathclaw nest. We began the trek back to Megaton, trying as best we could to make small talk with the other. "So, what's your name? I'm Chad."

"Jamie." She told me. A nice name. Jamie. "So what are you doing out here?" I explained that I had been on a small recon mission. I had planned to go out, explore a nearby area and gather any supplies I could find, and bring them to Megaton to make a nice profit. That's not how it worked out. I ran into a couple of Super Mutants and had to drop everything to get away. By that point I was nearly out of ammo and tired as all hell. That was pretty much it.

"What about you?" I asked. She shrugged.

"Just to take a look around, maybe do some trading." I nodded, taking a look at the scenery. I slowly began to recognize landmarks like the old Springvale School. Soon enough we were at Megaton. The huge lump of metal stuck out like a sore thumb. We entered the town, saying hello to Lucas Simms before continuing on. I went over to Craterside Supply to sell the few items I still had to make a profit off of. I also left my shotgun with her for her to repair, and bought more shells. The whole time I was introducing Jamie to people and showing her around town. Eventually we stopped at the Brass Lantern to grab a bite to eat. Jamie and I talked for a long while about our pasts, told some old battle stories, and generally had a good time. We had a lot in common me and her.

It was getting late so we went our separate ways. Me to my house behind the Brass Lantern, and her to the commons. I kind of felt bad about making her go sleep there, but there was no room at my place and Moriarty was a bastard: His rooms were always way too expensive. I stepped into my house and sighed. I poured myself a glass of scotch and went upstairs to my room. Once I got there I took off my jacket, boots and gloves as well as my shotgun's holster. I laid back on the not-so-soft bed thinking about Jamie. She was beautiful, had a great personality, and was one hell of a good shot. Maybe better then Stockholm, and that guy was good. After drinking the scotch I set the glass down on my desk and tuned my radio into Three Dog's station. It was a little fuzzy sometimes but I liked Three Dog's voice. The way he talked about The Good Fight and all that was very inspiring.

Finally my eyes began to slowly close. But then I heard a small thump. Just the slightest sound, but my years of Wasteland Survival had hugely affected my senses, making me a very sharp person overall. I reached under my pillow and felt the combat knife I kept under there for just such a situation. I gripped it ever-so-lightly and pretended to be asleep. If they came in here, I'd make my move. Sure enough, my door slowly creaked open. As I felt the invader getting closer and closer to me, my body tensed up until finally, I pounced. I jumped out of the bed with the knife, lunging at the would-be assassin. As I landed on them I felt combat armor beneath me. I held my knife at their neck with one hand and used the other hand to pat them down, searching for weapons. I confiscated a pair of grenades, a combat knife like my own, and a silenced 10mm pistol.

I turned on my lamp and saw who it was. A muscular man in black combat armor. A Talon Company Mercenary. "Damn it…" I whispered to myself. These guys had been coming after me for months. According to their warrants for my death I was a 'Holier than thou white knight'. I guess because I had been doing some good deeds around the wastes. I had been helping the Regulators, as well as doing various odd-jobs for people around the wastes. This man was a sum-bag and didn't deserve to live so I cut his throat right then. I stood over his body and wiped the blood off of my blade, hiding it back under my pillow. I put the frags in my desk, and left the pistol and knife on my desk to be sold to Moira later for a few extra caps. I took the man's lifeless body and laid it out in front of my house, but not before slicing off one of his fingers for the Regulators. I didn't sleep well the rest of the night, keeping my guard up in case of a second attempt on my life.

I awoke early the next morning and put on my outfit minus the jacket. I ate a quick breakfast of Dirty Water and Yum-Yum Deviled Eggs before heading over to Moira's. I often helped Moira on her various projects to make a few more caps. I brought the silenced 10mm and combat knife in for her to evaluate after which she made a deal that she'd take those in exchange for repairing my shotgun. That was the problem with my shotgun. It was powerful, reliable, and overall great but costs a hell of a lot to fix. The thing it a lever-action shotgun, not something you find every day. I got it one day off of a man I met at Rivet City, as well as the leather jacket I always wore.

We were playing a game of BlackJack and had a bit of a disagreement. Long story short, things got ugly fast. He pulled out the shotgun, I pulled out a .44 magnum I had at the time. Thinking quickly I flipped the table which took the brunt of his shotgun blast and before he had another chance to fire I jumped and blasted his head off. I took the jacket and shotgun from him just as trophies at first but I soon began to use both. I quickly found that the jacket worked for quick movement and moderate protection. The shotgun at the time had a stock and a much longer barrel, which didn't suit me too well. I took a hacksaw to the thing, making it into what it is now.

Whatever, I'm rambling. Soon enough Jamie walked through the door. I at the time was at Moira's workbench trying to sharpen the dullest, most broken down, sword I'd ever seen. She talked with Moira for a moment and bought some .308 ammo as well as traded in a few items. She walked out after waving to me and handing Moira somewhere around 50 caps. I smiled and continued my work. Moira stepped over to me, a goofy grin on her face. "What's so funny?" I asked in a joking tone.

"Oh, you don't have to hide from me silly." She said. "I'm going to go ahead and guess that you have a thing for Little Miss Sniper?" Dead on. But of course I couldn't let her know that, Moira was the most talkative person in the whole fucking universe, she was bound to let it slip.

"Well she saved my life a few days back. I'm thankful for that." I replied.

"I'm sure you are." Moira said. End of conversation. All I could think was: 'Damn. Now she'll tell everyone.' I liked to keep my personal life very secretive. Regardless, I continued my work. Once I had finished with the sword Moira had me repair a .32 pistol with a faulty chamber that didn't spin, and an assault rifle with a busted up barrel. Moira handed me 50 caps for the work I had done and I went back home with my newly repaired shotgun. Moira was the only one I trusted with my shotgun because although she was totally crazy, she did quality work. The last time I let just anybody repair my weapons (anybody in this case was Crowe the traveling merchant) they ruined my prized .44 magnum. I put so many rounds through that thing, had it since I was a kid. Again, rambling.

I put away the caps I had gotten and put on my jacket and sunglasses. I holstered my shotgun after loading it and stuck the bag of 10 extra shells in my jacket pocket. I then went over to the commons. Jamie wasn't there but a resident told me that she went over to Doc Church's. I quickly headed over there. Once I got inside I found her talking to the Doc about something or other. I let the two finish their conversation, waiting patiently by the door. Doc Church went to check on some patients and Jamie walked over to me. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"I'm here with a bit of a proposition." I replied. That sparked her interest, suggesting that she was a Merc. I thought that before because of the combat armor and attitude as well as our conversation at the Brass Lantern before. She raised an eyebrow. "There's a nearby camp of raiders. A large one. I've been working with the Regulators for a while now, and this is a perfect opportunity for me to make a whole lot of caps. The problem is, as I mentioned, it's a huge camp of raiders. There's no way I can do it alone but with your help I might just have a chance. We split the profits 50-50." She thought it over for a moment before nodding.

"I'll do it." I knew she would. No good Merc could resist such an offer. To be honest I did actually need her on this one. I had estimated that there were about 12 raiders, and I got 25 caps per finger meaning a total of 300 caps. Split with Jamie leaves me with 150 caps. I also decided to bring Jericho because he was a good shot and even two good fighters couldn't beat 12 raiders. I promised Jericho 50 caps (and a free drink) to come with (he probably would've done it just for the excitement but I wanted to make sure he'd come) leaving me with 100 caps. Not much for 12 raiders but it wasn't too bad. We shook on it and the next day we set out.

It was a long trip taking us past the Super-Duper Mart, past Wilhelm's Wharf, and along the Potomac. Soon we came upon a bridge near the Anchorage Memorial. Under this bridge was a small hollowed out area that these raiders called home. Jamie set up about 300 yards away to provide us with sniper cover. Jericho and I snuck up on the camp as quietly as possible and signaled Jamie to begin firing. As the first raider's head exploded, we charged. I quickly blasted two and Jericho took out another three. Jamie got a few more and I killed another pair. One was about to take me from behind but Jericho swung his rifle like a baseball bat, crushing the raider's skull. At last the final raider was put to rest. I got some pretty good loot. A sawed-off shotgun, a 10mm SMG, 2 assault rifles, 1 Chinese assault rifle, as well as a few assorted melee weapons and grenades. I took their armors and fingers as well of course. Overall, a pretty good loot.

It took us almost the rest of the day to get to Regulator HQ but we got there. Once inside we traded the fingers to Sonora Cruz (leader of the Regulators) for the caps and distributed them amongst us. Sonora was also more than happy to trade us for a few things. We gave them the guns we found in exchange for more ammo for all of us. It was a good trade and certainly lightened our load. We spent the night there as well. The HQ wasn't the most comfortable place but it was relatively safe. Jamie had done incredibly well in combat that day, further insinuating that she was a Merc. Maybe to some it wouldn't be a big deal, but to me it was a huge deal. I had never trusted Mercs. Never. My father was killed by a Merc. Why? Because he tried to start a legitimate business in downtown DC. That's why. It didn't help that these days Mercs were trying to kill me too. Generally, they were scum. They were the kind of people I spent my life trying to rid the world of. And I wasn't sure that Jamie was any different.

On the trek back to Megaton I asked the fateful question. "Hey Jamie? I've been meaning to ask you: Are you a Merc?" She looked at me funny. "Just asking."

"Yeah. Not like I love it, but it pays well." I sighed. I sure hoped she was different.

Skip forward 4 months. Jamie and I had gotten ever closer. I had given up my old lifestyle and settled down. I worked for Moira keeping a steady income. Jamie had given up being a Merc and we'd moved in together. I was thinking: 'Hey, maybe I can finally have a peaceful life. Oh how wrong I was. That fateful night. The worst day of my life. Jamie and I had snuggled into my bed together. We were both fast asleep. When I awoke, blood covered me. I was freaked and instantly turned to Jamie. A bullet hole right through the center of her head. I yelled and screamed and beat my fists on the wall for several hours before I gave up and sobbed. Apparently another Merc snuck into my house and, thinking Jamie was me, shot her with a silenced pistol.

My sadness inevitably turned to anger. I spent the next 3 weeks in the Wasteland searching for that damned Merc. I traveled everywhere from Rivet City, to Dave's Republic, to GirderShade, to everywhere else. Eventually I realized that I had to give up. Anger reverted back to sadness and I moped around Megaton for around a month and a half, spending a fortune at Moriarty's and overall reducing myself to being a common drunk. It took me a good long time to get back to being the way I was. And now, I might just have a chance to.

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Sorry for how long it took.

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	5. Chapter 5 Gentlemen Start Your Engines

Hooray for chapters.

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After listening to Chad's story we all decided to hit the hay. I didn't sleep too well that night. The next morning I put on the Armored Jumpsuit Moira gave me. It fit very well. I left early and went down to the center of town. I took some tools I got from Moira and opened up the bomb. It took me a good twenty minutes to get the whole thing disarmed. It wasn't until I had finished and wiped the sweat off of my forehead that I noticed Harden Simms. He had most likely been watching me the whole time in silence. He approached me with a weak smile on his face. "Thanks for doing that. My… My dad would've liked that." He handed me a small bag with: 'Bomb Reward' written on it. I had to decline though. Harden needed those caps more than me. He smiled at me, I smiled back. I felt good about that. I went back to Chad's to get the rest of my gear.

When I got there, Chad had suited up Jacob in a set of heavy leather armor. He waved to me and continued with Jacob. I grabbed my 10mm with 10 clips, the hunting rifle Chad had given me, the frags, and put on Lucas Simms' hat. I looked good (not that that meant anything in the Wasteland). I went back downstairs to see Jacob now equipped with a small sword and combat knife. He put both on his belt and we both put our backpacks on, thanking Chad for the hospitality. We headed over to Moira's and sold anything we didn't need for a few extra caps.

Our total stock: 25 Stimpaks, 1 10mm pistol, 10 clips (120 rounds) of 10mm ammo, 1 set of leather armor, 1 armored jumpsuit, 1 sheriff's hat, 1 hunting rifle, 6 clips (30 rounds) of .32 caliber ammo, 1 Chinese officer's sword, 2 combat knives, 1 pair of binoculars, 5 syringes of Med-X, 650 caps, and 2 lost souls.

As we approached the gate Jacob asked me about the bomb. When I told him I had let Harden keep the money he got very angry. "What?!" He yelled. "We need that money Alex!"

"So does that little boy who just lost his father!" I yelled back.

"Oh please Alex, you can drop the white knight routine! We're not in the Vault anymore! We're in the Wastes and it's a dog-eat-dog world! Sympathy leads to weakness, weakness leads to death." He ended it there by walking ahead of me. I shook my head and kept walking but soon felt a hand on my shoulder. Chad stood behind me, a smile on his face.

"What's up Chad?" I asked.

"You didn't think I'd let you go out there alone did you?" Make that three lost souls. Jacob didn't have a problem with it so we three musketeers left on our journey to GNR studios. It may not sound epic, but I was shaking in my boots. We made our first stop at the Super-Duper Mart. Chad had recently teamed up with several people and annihilated every Raider there, convenient eh? We gathered some food supplies while in the store and left. Before we knew it, we got ourselves into another pickle.

We saw two Super Mutants fighting four raiders. A river separated the two enemies, one no less brutal then the other. The raiders were clearly losing, and Chad saw this as an opportunity. We all got prone (laying flat) and Chad had me take out my rifle. "Breath slowly in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth. In through your nose." I did so. "Out through your mouth." He repeated this over and over until my breathing was at a steady rhythm. "Now wait until your breath pauses, and fire." I did so, aiming directly at the head of one of the green giants. I pulled the trigger at just the right time, sending a hot .32 round through a mutant's skull. I cycled the bolt as I saw Chad gaping, clearly impressed. "Wow, you're a natural kid." He said. I took aim, getting the same result as with the last. Both the Super Mutants and Raiders were both dead now.

As we looted their bodies Chad took out a scope. He then asked for my rifle. I gave it to him and continued looting. When I looked back over, my rifle now had the scope on it. He handed it back to me. "I think you'll make good use of it." I smiled at him.

"Thanks. Hey, where'd you get this thing anyways?" I asked. He laughed.

"Jamie's rifle. I would've brought the whole thing, but it's heavy and .308s aren't too easy to find." Wow. He actually trusted me with one of his most treasured possessions. What did he see in me? I thanked him again. On one of the Raiders, I found a 10mm sub-machine gun. I decided to make it my new sidearm due to it being full auto. "Good choice kid. Just don't overuse it; the thing'll eat up all your ammo before you can say 'bang'." I laughed a bit but understood. Soon we were ready to go.

Chad led us over to what looked like a Metro Station. I asked if he was sure to which he replied: "Unless you don't wanna get to GNR, then I'm sure." After which he opened the chain gate and entered. We quickly followed. The Metro was dark, damp, and otherwise uncomfortable. _You've got to be fu… _My thought was interrupted as Chad shushed us and signaled to get down. What now? Chad got up on his haunches and whispered to us so quietly we could barely hear it. "Alright, Alex come with me. Jacob stay here until I call for you." We both nodded and he waved his hand forward, telling me to follow. I took my rifle out as did he his shotgun. I breathed in and out slowly, not sure what was coming up. As we rounded the corner I saw a human figure. Another Raider I figured. Oh how wrong I was.

The being turned around and saw us instantly, letting off a devilish, raspy yell. "Shit!" Chad yelled. He stood and blasted the monster with his shotgun. It was too late though, at least six more of them rushed at us. I was shocked and couldn't move from the spot. Meanwhile, Chad and Jacob fought off the beasts. Chad quickly ran out of shells with no time to reload. He grabbed his shotgun by the end of the barrel and swung it like a baseball bat, smashing heads. Jacob cut up several with his blades as well. Once it was over the two were gasping for air. Chad looked at me. "Where the hell were you? You're the one with the Sub-Machine Gun here! If you're gonna lock up every time you see something like this you're probably not gonna last long." He shook his head angrily and reloaded as well as cleaned the monsters' blood off of him and his weapon. Jacob didn't bother, simply sheathing his blades.

I got a closer look at what we'd just fought. The creatures had wrinkly, mis-fitting skin with chunks missing. Their teeth were large, scraggly, and yellow, their fingernails and toenails like claws. I saw that they were bald as well, not a hair on their bodies. I took a look into their eyes and saw nothing but black. They truly did frighten me. I took a deep breath and looked up at Chad who had duct-taped a flashlight onto the end of his shotgun. He turned it on and waved his hand, telling us to follow. Jacob and I turned up the brightness on our Pip-Boys, making do with them as flashlights. We descended a set of stairs that most likely used to be an escalator. Rubble was everywhere, as well as abandoned trains. Chad took us down one tunnel, following the tracks. I kept a sharp eye on everything, not sure if another monster would be around the next corner. I gave myself a mental note to ask Chad about them later. Wouldn't you know it, we ran into another problem. We came to the end of the tunnel but at the end, a hulking mass of green awaited us. A Super Mutant.

It didn't see us yet so I laid down and looked through my scope, putting the mutant's head in my crosshairs. I saw that it was holding a 2x4 with a large nail through it, not something you wanted to fight up close. I then saw two of the creatures from earlier. "Dammit." I whispered. Chad clearly saw as well. He took out a bottle of dirty water and chugged it. I had a bottle of dirty water back in Megaton and ended up throwing up, just couldn't stomach it, not after the years of purified Vault water. Back to where we were, he stuffed the water bottle with a soft foamy substance. He then shoved it onto the end of my rifle and gave me the thumbs up. What the hell would this do? He then whispered to me:

"It'll silence your rifle fairly well; the Ferals won't hear a thing." Ferals? I guessed the creatures. "But only for one shot." The idea was actually pretty ingenious, he stuffed the water bottle with a sound-proof substance so that when I fired, all the sound would be absorbed and otherwise have nowhere to go. I re-aimed, breathed, and fired, blowing a hole through the mutant's skull. The Ferals didn't even seem to notice. I cycled the bolt. I was starting to feel rather good about my sharpshooting skills. Maybe I was meant to do this. Whatever, daydreaming later, Feral killing now. Chad stood and turned his light back on, alerting the Ferals. They did the same raspy yell as before and the two that there were charged us. Chad took several pot-shots, and the onslaught of buckshot finally took the beings down. He reloaded once again, and we continued on.

At last! The bright sun! Oh how I missed it. Checking my Pip-Boy clock I saw that it was about 1:00 p.m. _We're actually making pretty good time. _I thought. All of a sudden, what do you know? Two Mutants with hunting rifles. _Just my fucking luck._ Seriously! What the hell? Why is it that every chance it gets, life throws something shitty at me? And I… My thought was interrupted by a red beam of light flying through the air and frying one of the Super Mutants. The other turned and was hit by a similar beam. We were promptly approached by several people wearing big bulky silver armor. Their voices were synthesized as they spoke quietly to one another. Robots? No, their movements were much too human-like. Then what? I was ready to defend myself but I saw Chad smile and holster his shotgun. I relaxed a bit but kept a careful eye on them.

"Nice to see you Sarah." He said. One of the armored troops pulled off their helmet. Revealed now was a beautiful face and bright blond hair tied into a ponytail. She looked so much like… No. I couldn't keep thinking about the Vault all the time.

"Nice to see you again Chad." Sarah looked at us. "Who're these two punks?" She asked. Jacob never stood for something like that. He drew his sword and tried to rush her but Sarah used what appeared to be a rifle of some kind to block it. She blocked it only slightly before stepping out of the way, setting Jacob off balance. Then she used the rifle, swinging it much like Chad did and hitting Jacob over the head. One of the soldiers then stepped on Jacob's back and kicked the sword away. Another kept his rifle pointed at Jacob. "As I was saying… Who're these two punks?" Chad chuckled.

"I picked 'em up near Megaton. Fresh out of a Vault." Sarah's eyes opened wide and she looked me up and down.

"You're kidding!" She exclaimed. What was the big deal?

"Nope, it's true. Look at the kid's suit." She did and saw the huge 101 on my back. Could I make it any more obvious? I really should have gone with something more inconspicuous. He turned to me. "This is the Brotherhood of Steel. They're a huge force in the Wasteland, especially here in DC. They're essentially a modern day military." I nodded, not really listening. What I was doing was checking out this "Brotherhood of Steel". Sure they looked friendly enough, and Chad clearly had a past with them, but could they be trusted? Finally, Sarah broke the silence.

"Kasken, let him go." The BoS member lifted his foot off of Jacob. Jacob, infuriated, picked up his sword and knife, joining us. "So what are you doing around here?" She asked.

"These two are looking for their dad. We think Three Dog might have some information." Chad replied. While the two talked I lifted the brim of my hat and looked around. The sun was beating down hard, and this was the first time I'd realized it. I began to feel extremely thirsty and decided to take another sip of my precious Purified Water supply. The cool drops slid down my throat, as refreshing as anything I'd ever had. I twisted the cap back on and continued my mini-search. I saw the two dead Mutants so I walked over and checked out what they had. I unloaded their rifles, putting the extra rounds in my bag. The rifles I took and held them under my arm for now; I figured that they might come in handy later.

When I returned Sarah was nodding. "Yeah you can stick with us for now. Just don't drag us down alright? We've got buddies over at GNR that really need our help." We all agreed and took off towards the radio station, and hopefully towards Dad. I felt my heart racing, my feet pounding across the destroyed pavement, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun.

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I tried taking some of the criticism I'd been receiving by delving more into Alex's mind.

I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6 I Need a Smoke

Oh, I just have so many ideas!  
Enjoy!

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As we rounded the corner, I saw a dead BoS member, his armor turned into scrap metal. How much better could we do? I jumped as a Super Mutant rushed us with a sledgehammer. Thankfully Sarah and her squad took it down with their rifles. Taking a guess I figured that they were laser rifles. I had read about them in the Vault but of course I'd never actually seen one. I saw in front of me a large brick building. It was very much destroyed of course, but in the windows were the terrifying faces of Super Mutants. Armed with hunting rifles and assault rifles, they fired at us relentlessly. We hid behind cover until they had to reload and returned fire. I managed to take one with a headshot and wound another. Chad talked to Jacob for a few seconds, after which Jacob ran back behind the corner. Not thinking much of it, I continued firing on the Mutants.

I felt his presence behind me. I looked back and saw Jacob, holding the fallen Mutant's sledgehammer, and wearing a BoS helmet. He had used some of the Mutant's armor to cover any revealed skin. He talked to Chad again, who injected something into his arm and gave him a small pill. Jacob yelled out fiercely in a frightening war cry and charged the building. I tried to stop him, but he pushed right past. He took round after round and kept running. Several Mutants came to the door to stop him but Jacob used the hammer to smash their skulls, gore flying everywhere. Distracted, the Super Mutants at the windows were quickly dispatched. We moved on, keeping our heads low. When we got inside, it was a gore-fest. At first I thought all the Mutants were gone, but I saw one, wounded, stand up behind Jacob. Reacting quickly, I took the shot, landing the bullet right between the Mutant's eyes.

Jacob was panting heavily as he took off the helmet. Whatever Chad gave him, it was wearing off. We followed the BoS outside to see a small town square.

The station was surrounded by BoS, firing desperately at the Mutants. The other side, where we were, was covered in Mutants of all shapes and sizes, with weapons ranging from hunting rifles, to assault rifles, to their bare fists. Me and two other BoS members stood in the windows, sniping the Mutants while Chad and the others made an assault squad, attacking them head on. I thought Chad was an idiot for doing this but I didn't mention it. Within a few minutes, all the Mutants had been eradicated. We cheered and one BoS member, by the name of Initiate Reddin, began firing her rifle into the air. Another, more professional Brother, told her to stop wasting ammo. Chad, Jacob, and I wasted no time collecting the spoils. Round after round of ammo, 3 hunting rifles, 2 assault rifles, 3 Chinese assault rifles, and several melee weapons we didn't bother to pick up. Chad tore a piece of cloth from the blanket he'd brought and used it to bundle the weapons together and sling them across his back. Meanwhile I carried the ammunition.

Our victory was short-lived as we felt a rumbling, and then a terrifying roar. _Oh, what now? _I thought, pulling out my rifle. Initiate Reddin went to check it out, a bad move. A nearby bus exploded, sending huge pieces of metal shrapnel into her body and pinning her to the side of a building. She hung there like a rag doll. When I looked to see what monstrosity caused this, my eyes opened in terror. A huge Super Mutant, as least 20 feet tall stood before us. Everybody opened fire in an instant, and before long, I heard nothing but ringing.

I jumped behind a fountain in the middle of the plaza and threw my rifle aside, preferring the SMG for its rapid fire capabilities. I came out of my makeshift cover to get a better look, as well as fire off a few short bursts. This… Behemoth had a belt made of what looked to be human skulls, as well as scrap metal armor like its smaller brethren. It used a fire hydrant as a sort of club, swinging it at the BoS members, who scurried about to avoid the powerful attacks. Chad was in the midst of it all, maybe on some kind of "battle high". I'd heard the term used before. Chad threw Jacob an Assault Rifle, picked up from one of the slaughtered Mutants, and they proceeded to make quite a racket.

The beast seemed to be absorbing the rounds, like a sponge to water. No matter how much we fired it never seemed to get weaker. It simply turned about with little room to move, occasionally roaring or swinging its club. About 10 minutes in, Chad and Jacob joined me behind the fountain, heavily panting. Suddenly, something caught Chad's eye. I looked and saw a large contraption lying next to a dead BoS member. It looked to be used to launch something. Chad rushed out and grabbed it, throwing it to me. I nearly fell over because of the weapon's sheer weight. He yelled at me to shoot it at the monster.

I took a moment to find the trigger and launched it. _Dammit. _Not even close. Chad loaded another one of what looked to be a small nuclear bomb into the weapon and pushed a button, readying it for launch. This time I aimed high. Click. Bull's-eye. The projectile hit the Behemoth's back causing a small explosion. I smiled at this. _Yeah! How do you like me now?! _I thought, chuckling at the same thought. Chad quickly loaded another. Click again, bull's-eye again. The beast cried in pain before, at last, collapsing. Dead. This time everybody cheered loudly. Several Brothers comforted Sentinel Lyons over the loss of Reddin.

Sarah approached us and shook our hands. "Thank you guys. We really couldn't have done this without you." Chad laughed and patted me on the head.

"I tell ya, this kid's a prodigy. You see the way he handled that Fat Man?" The two chatted for a moment before I finally opened my mouth.

"Look Chad, we really need to see Three Dog, we should go now." Chad looked at me as though he had just remembered the fact that THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WE CAME HERE!!!

"Oh right. Head on in, the doors should be open now." Chad replied. After which he went back to his conversation. I sighed and entered the building. _Yeah don't wait up Chad. _I thought as I entered GNR. Jacob soon followed me and it wasn't until I got to Three Dog's studio that Chad showed up. In the station were roughly 7 BoS members, all heavily armed. They were very intimidating but luckily I had just saved their asses. Before heading to see Three Dog I went to a restroom inside the ruined building.

I washed my face in the irradiated water which to my surprise still flowed through the pipe system. I did my best to clear the grime and dust off of the cracked mirror and took a good hard look at myself. My suit was covered in dirt and dust and had plenty of rips and tears in it. My hat surprisingly looked okay. It was then that the adrenaline in my bloodstream began to thin out, leaving me out of breath and in massive pain. I must've stepped on my left leg wrong because there were shooting pains through it. I limped out of the bathroom after double checking that my weapons were reloaded. Jacob was sitting on the stairs smoking a cigarette. "Didn't know you smoked." I said. Jacob exhaled and looked at me.

"Neither did I." End of conversation. Jacob had a way of doing that. Anyways, we entered Three Dog's studio and after climbing a set of stairs we saw him among a set of radio equipment. He turned to greet us.

"Now I know what you're…" Three Dog began. However, Chad stepped up and interrupted him.

"Skip the flashy introductions Three Dog. We just need some info." Chad said sternly.

"Well alright then Chad. Just tryin' to make the whole situation a bit more comfortable for all of us." _Christ. Does Chad know everyone in this goddamn place?_

"We're looking for their dad. James. About ye high. From Vault 101. Maybe you know him?" Three Dog's eyes sparked up immediately at this statement. Not that you could really see past his thick shades.

"Of course I know him." _Finally some good news. _

"Where is he?!" I burst out.

"Well just hold on there kid." Three Dog said calmly. But I had lost all my patience at this point. "Ya see, information is expensive. And 'Ol Three Dog here is willing to make a deal." As I was about to protest, Chad drew his .44 magnum he had bought in Megaton.

"We risked our necks coming here Three Dog! Here's our deal: Tell us what we want to know or I blow your head off." Three Dog looked calm but I could tell that he was scared.

"Oh c'mon now Chad, don't be like that. Besides, we both know you wouldn't dare." Chad grinned in an evil sort of way as he cocked the hammer on his magnum. Three Dog's legs began shaking, though he tried his best to hide it. "There's at least 10 Brotherhood members out there that'll kill you if you do. B-besides, y-you need me." Three Dog's voice was shakier then his legs. Chad chuckled.

"There are plenty of other people I can get information from Three Dog. And in case you didn't notice, we're in a studio. The walls are all sound-proof. Nobody would know until it was too late." Three Dog finally gave in.

"Alright. You win. Last I heard, he was heading to Rivet City." Chad re-holstered his magnum and returned to his former happy-go-lucky self. _Note to self: Don't piss Chad off. _As we left the studio I asked Chad about Rivet City.

"So what's this about Rivet City?" I asked.

"It's pretty much the biggest colony of people anywhere in the Wasteland." Chad talked about a place on the Potomac, a wonderful place in what used to be an aircraft carrier. They had a science team that was perfecting a way to get fresh water, a history museum, and an awesome marketplace that sold everything. The way he talked about it made it seem magical. Admittedly, I really couldn't wait.

As we were about to leave, we were stopped by Sarah Lyons. "Hey guys, thanks again for helping us earlier. If you want, I can take you to the armory and give you a few things to help you out." _Oh so now you get all friendly. That is, AFTER we save your ass. _

"Wow Sarah, that's not like you." Chad said jokingly. She rolled her eyes and led us downstairs and through several small hallways. Sarah opened a door revealing armor and weapons hung on the walls as well as boxes of ammunition and grenades. I was pretty impressed. Chad whistled as he saw the many items.

"Alright so here's some ammo for you guys." She handed Chad a sack of shotgun shells and me a sack of .32 clips and 10mm SMG clips. Chad took my bag from me as well as Jacob's and began pulling out the weapons we gathered.

"What can we get for these?" Chad told me and Jacob to go do something while he traded with her. Jacob and I went out into the square and watched the sun slowly setting. It wasn't too long after that Jacob came out and joined us. He then tossed us our bags and showed us our bounty. Clip after clip of ammo, a kit with things to help patch up our armor, a large bowie knife and machete to replace Jacob's current weapons, some water and food, grenades, caps, and a better scope for my rifle. "The one you have is an un-adjustable 4 power scope. This is an adjustable 3-10 power scope." I had no idea what that meant but I thanked him.

We sat in the square and made a small fire as Chad fixed my new scope on the rifle. Another plus to trading with the Brotherhood was that our bags were now significantly lighter. Chad also patched up my outfit with some Brahmin leather patches. We all sat by the fire drinking some beers that Chad brought. Admittedly, I'm not a big drinker but it helps take my mind off things. Chad and Jacob also took out cigarettes and bugged me until I had one. We ate, drank, smoked, and told jokes. Overall it was a very fun night.

And as we sat around that fire smoking our 200-year-old cigarettes, staring up at the night sky, it was the first time I truly felt at home in the Wasteland. And it was a beautiful feeling.

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Sorry for the wait, I've been pretty busy.

Anyways I really tried to get into Alex's head on this chapter.

I hope you enjoyed and I hope you stick around for next time.


	7. Chapter 7 Meet Number 4

Back to this because I want to get past the few starting parts of the main story so I can get to aimless wandering.

Now that'll be fun.

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I awoke with an aching back and a frozen… Everything else. I sat up and stretched, rubbing my back. _Note to self: The ground does not make a very good bed. _I shook it off and stood up. Jacob was sitting silently on the broken water fountain in the middle of the square, polishing his new weapons. Meanwhile, Chad was cleaning and adjusting his guns. He turned to me and smiled a bit. "About time. For Christ's sake man, you would've slept through a Deathclaw stampede." He laughed and shook his head as I rolled my eyes. Checking over my pack once again, I took out a syringe of Med-X and injected a small amount of it into my back. Sighing in relief, I put it back and looked through my items. My rifle was good: Scope was zeroed; magazine was full, bullet in the chamber.

"Good to go?" Chad asked. I nodded and slung my rifle over my shoulder. I grabbed the SMG and after checking it as well, slid it into a modified pistol holster. We all said our goodbyes to the Brotherhood and were on our way. _Fina-fucking-ly. _I thought. I was a grumpy mornings kind of guy. We walked… And walked… And walked. At last we made it back to Megaton. We got to Chad's house and I immediately collapsed on a chair. Luckily we hadn't run into any resistance other then the occasional Bloatfly.

Naturally the first thing we did after dropping off our bags was to head to Moriarty's. Stepping into the door, all I smelled was cigarettes and booze. Well that's not completely true but whatever else that was I don't wanna know. It was dead except for Jericho and some other guy. Being that it was only just past noon, I decided against drinking. Chad and Jacob however both got a beer, handing a few caps to Gob. Instead I got a glass of Purified water. Being that this was such a rare opportunity in the Wastes, I paid the 20-some odd caps for the small plastic bottle. Taking a drink, I instantly felt refreshed. The only time we'd stopped in our 3 ½ hour hike back to here was to drink a bit of irradiated water out of a broken water pipe. It was disgusting but sacrificing Purified water simply wasn't an option.

Once more looking through the bar, I spotted the stranger. Normally I wouldn't really have noticed, but this man was rather odd-looking amongst the citizens of Megaton. He wore a grey sweatshirt, tan khaki pants, what looked like combat boots, and black fingerless gloves. He also had a tan combat vest. The strangest feature of this man was a mask he wore. It covered his whole head except for his eyes upon which he had tinted yellow sunglasses. The mask was patterned in a way that made his face look like a skeleton. _Possibly a scare tactic_. I thought. The man lifted the bottom of his mask every time he took a drink out of his small glass of whiskey. He let out a sigh and turned around, getting off of the stool. For a moment I caught his eye, before turning away. He counted out a few caps and tossed them onto the bar.

I turned to Chad and Jacob. "You know that guy?" I asked. Chad looked up. "The one with the mask?" Chad nodded slowly.

"I don't think anyone really knows his name but people call him Ghost. He usually only shows up at the…" Chad looked as though he just remembered something. "Oh that's right! Lucas Simms held a marksmanship contest every year. I guess this year's one is supposed to be in his honor. It should be happening tomorrow actually. C'mon we've got training to do." Chad got up and both Jacob and I followed. He took us to the outskirts of town after stopping by his house and picking up some worn out, shot up, bulls-eye type targets. Chad set up the targets: 3 large, 3 medium, and 3 small targets.

For three hours he showed me how to compensate for wind, atmospheric pressure, gravity, and endless other things on my scope. Shoot the targets, go further back, and shoot them again. That was the drill. My farthest distance to hit the small targets was roughly 400 yards but Chad said I'd get better. He sent me back to his house while he trained in CQC (Close Quarters Combat) with Jacob. I took a nice long rest, preparing for the next day. However, I simply couldn't get the stranger out of my mind. Ghost: A cool sounding name but somewhat frightening. Maybe they called him that for his mask, maybe for something much more sinister. I fell asleep quite easily but the man haunted my dreams.

I awoke with a yawn and pulled on my tattered and dirtied jumpsuit. I grabbed the hat belonging to the late Sheriff Lucas Simms. I sighed and put it on my head. Grabbing my rifle and SMG, plus extra clips for both, I stepped out the door. It was about 8 in the morning. The town was basically deserted because everyone was at the gates for the marksmanship contest. Moira, the Stahl family who ran the Brass Lantern, and Moriarty all had small booths set up selling their various products.

Everyone was in a small grouping in front of the targets. There were targets small, medium, and large, and all at different distances. I had signed up for the Automatic Weapons, The CQB, and the Sniper Rifle competitions. I didn't expect to win, but it would at least be fun and take some of the edge off. First up was the CQB course. The combatants were me, Chad, Jericho, two unnamed citizens, and Ghost. We all pulled out our respective CQB weapons: My SMG, Chad's shotgun, Jericho a long board with a nail through it, one citizen had a knife, the other had a 10mm, and Ghost had an odd looking 9mm pistol (think Berretta M9). He held the pistol in his right hand and a small combat knife in his left. He held the knife backwards and used his arm to stabilize the gun (you ever use the tactical knife attachment in MW2?). The way he stood was odd also: He had his knees slightly bent, one foot a little in front of the other.

Ghost seemed like he had been traditionally trained. I had never seen anything quite like it. Anyways, the CQB course consisted of 8 spring loaded targets. The first would pop up; you hit it, run to the next, rinse, repeat. Fastest time gets 10 points. Points would decide the overall winner. Each challenge was worth 10 points; each competitor was allowed 3 challenges. I went first, turning each corner and hitting each target. Admittedly the first target popped out suddenly and startled me but afterwards I got it together and brought in a time of 32 seconds. Chad, more prepared then I, finished quicker with a time of 25 seconds. The two townies got somewhere in the mid 20's… Okay I wasn't paying attention. I was watching Ghost warm up. Finally it was his turn, bringing in a lightning fast time of 19 seconds. Impressive indeed; his very tactical approach worked well. Ghost wasn't exactly your average bear.

Anyways, back to the competition: next was the automatic weapons contest. It was a target shoot with 3 big, 3 medium, and 3 small targets. Each was set at various distances and locations. I was up first with my SMG. Taking aim, I heard a gunshot signaling to start. Firing in short bursts, I hit all the targets in about 10 seconds. One townie brought in a time of 8 seconds, Jericho with his assault rifle made it in 7 seconds, and then Ghost was up again. He had another odd-looking weapon, this one an assault rifle (Think M16). He took down all 9 targets in 5 seconds. Ghost didn't look like he even broke a sweat.

Finally it was time for the sniper rifle contest. The contestants were me, the gate's guard Stockholm, and Chad. Chad was using Jamie's old sniper rifle. He loaded the weapon and kissed it, his eyes glazing over for a moment. Each of us was given 3 torso-sized targets set at 600 yards. The one who hit all three in the tightest grouping won. Stockholm went first; his un-scoped rifle didn't exactly help him. He hit all three targets but the rounds were all over the place. Chad's grouping was fairly tight; all three landed on the forehead. My turn came at last. I took a deep breath, aimed, adjusted my sights, and fired. Worked the bolt, fired, worked the bolt, and fired. One, two, three: Right between the eyes. I got some applause as I cleared my weapon. Chad whistled, essentially saying 'Holy shit'.

Totaling up the points: Ghost won no problem. He a prize of: Free drinks at Moriarty's for a month, a free meal at the Brass Lantern, and 50 caps. Ghost thanked everyone and within 2 hours everyone was back to their normal routines. Jacob, Chad, and I stopped by Moriarty's to find Ghost and Jericho in each other's face. Jericho, who was obviously drunk, shoved Ghost. "You think you're soooooo cool dontcha?" He said. Jericho was a bit tipsy and slurred his words, which gave it away. They stared one another down for a moment before Ghost shook his head and walked out. "Oh no, you're not getting away!" Jericho yelled. He ran after Ghost wielding a combat knife. Several people rushed through the door after him, only to see that Ghost had disarmed him. Ghost had Jericho in a full Nelson hold. Despite his best efforts, Jericho simply couldn't escape.

After Jericho had tired himself out, Ghost let him go. The crowd applauded him. Not long after, he started walking away. Letting my mind take control, I followed. When I had caught up to Ghost, I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at me, which is when I really began to feel how intimidating he was. It was like he could see right into my soul, but I couldn't see beyond his mask and sunglasses. "Yes?" He said. Oddly enough, the guy had a British accent. I took a deep breath.

"Hi, my name's Alex. I was in the competition?" I explained.

"Oh yeah. Nice work with that sniper of yours." He replied.

"Yeah, nice work yourself, Ghost isn't it? But anyways, I'm here to ask you a favor." Ghost nodded.

"Alright, shoot."

"Well me, my brother, and our friend Chad are on sort of a journey. We're looking for my dad. We're heading to Rivet City soon, and since it can get kind of dangerous we're looking for a bit of a hired hand to help us out." Ghost pondered it for a moment. Or at least that's what I think he was doing, like I said I couldn't see his face. "If it helps, we can pay you whatever. We just need somebody who has some real experience like you." Ghost chuckled a bit.

"I tell you what; I'm heading that way anyways. I'll do it no charge. Gotta stick together eh?" I nodded and smiled. We shook hands. _That makes 4._

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Thank god. This took me way longer than I expected.

Enjoy anyways.


	8. Chapter 8: Man in Black Mini Chapter

After an extended break (And by that I mean I sat on my ass for a while) I'm back.

This one will be exceedingly short but I hope you enjoy anyways.

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After stocking up at Megaton it was time to move on. I'd been regretting this for a while. _We're off to Rivet City then._ I said to myself as we closed the gates behind us. As we took our first few steps, we knew that this would be no easy undertaking. The sun was blisteringly hot, and shade was nowhere to be found. We had to constantly drink from irradiated puddles or water pipes, scarcely tasting purified water. I slowly gained immunity to the small doses of radiation, though only after dozens of times of vomiting. Chad was careful in how much he had us drink, knowing that it could easily kill us. Never before had my muscles ached so badly, nor had my mouth tasted so foul, nor had I so longed for a moment's respite. I nearly collapsed after a close encounter with a few vicious dogs.

The traveling was taking a huge toll on me, which is when I noticed something. I was the weak link of this group. Jacob, Chad, and Ghost could all go on like this for hours, but I was weak. It made me angry, but there was little I could do. Soon enough we had run out of purified water and were on a desperate search for more. As we continued our trip in the harsh desert that was the Capital Wasteland, I saw a figure in the distance. Dressed in all black including a cloak and turban, the man made a striking figure.

"Hey!" I yelled. I jogged towards him. Chad and Ghost urged me to stop and followed after, as well as Jacob. "Excuse me sir, do you have any water? We've got armor and weapons, ammunition, anything you need. We just need some…" I found myself staring down the barrel of a .44 Magnum. Boasting a small scope and an 8-inch barrel, the black revolver was a menacing weapon. The man behind it cocked the hammer which along with the shape of the cylinder and hand grip, insinuated that the pistol was a single-action. I dropped my rifle and put my hands up. The man pulled off his turban and mask, revealing a scarred face. He had a thin beard and greasy shoulder-length hair. His tanned skin made it evident that he was constantly on the move, and the combat armor under his cloak made it clear that he was no ordinary traveler. Under that same black cloak I saw a similar pistol to the one he had only this one was smaller, possibly a .45. It was silver with a brown wooden handgrip and a 6 inch barrel, this pistol was un-scoped.

My comrades stopped in their tracks not too far away. "Drop the bag, and the SMG." The man said in a gruff voice. I did so as he ordered my friends to do the same. He revealed a crooked yellow-toothed smile. "Lucky you." All I could think was: _Uh oh._

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Again this one's pretty short.

I hope my Honors English details made this interesting though.


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